Feeding devices for pressing and other machines



Dec. 27, 1955 Q F, CLARK 2,728,572

FEEDING DEVICES FOR PRESSING AND OTHER MACHINES Filed April 9. 1952 2sheets-sheet 1 z 17 0 ff 1 y 516 3/4? 33242529 Z FIGS. 4Z

/NVENTO ga/m5 f7 CLARK By ATTO/FNfy Dec. 27, 1955 G. F. CLARK 2,728,572

FEEDING DEVICES FOR PRESSING AND OTHER MACHINES Filed April 9, 1952 2Sheets-Shea?. 2

A TTORNEY United States Patent 'O FEEDING DEVICES FOR PRESSING AND OTHERMACHINES George Frederick Clark, West Drayton, England Application April9, 1952, Serial No. 281,395

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 24, 1952 2 Claims.(Cl. 271-2.5)

This invention relates to feeding devices for machines such as pressingmachines and the like and to improvements in feeding devices for stripmaterial comprising a base on which is slidably mounted a pivotedgripping blade carrier movable by links connected to the arms of a pairof bellcrank levers, the other arms of the bellcrank levers havingfulcrums on the base, links connecting the intermediate fulcrum of eachbellcrank lever to levers having fnlcrums on the base and means formoving the latter mentioned levers or links whereby the carrier will bemoved rearwardly to raise the gripping blade from the strip materialmounted on the carrier and spring .means for returning the parts totheir normal position to eiect the feeding of the strip forwardly thesaid material being gripped by the pivoted gripping blade to effect thefeed of the strip material on the forward movement of the carrier.

The present invention being an improvement over the disclosure in my:zo-pending application for Gripping and Feeding Devices for Machines,Serial No. 153,208.

The object of the present invention is to provide a more efficientdevice of the above character, the said device adapted to be readilyadjusted to facilitate the feeding of the strip material and the partsso designed as to prevent bouncing due to the speed of the machine andto be capable of adjustment for material of various thicknesses.

A further object is to provide improved means whereby the feed of thematerial can be minutely adjusted to suit various requirements.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in providinga gripping and feeding device for strip material comprising a base, aguide formed in said base, a slidably mounted carrier having a pivotallymounted carrier of a gripping blade thereon, means comprising levers,links and beller-ank levers for moving the carrier against the action ofsprings when actuated by,f0rinstance, a pressing machine and a stop tolimit the movement of the carrier said stop adapted to be adjusted by amicrometer.

The invention also consists in providing the slidably mounted carrierwith blade adjusting means and the blade carrier with means for theconnection of the means for moving the slidable carrier so that theblade will be raised out of operative position before the slidablecarrier is moved.

The invention further consists in tting at the rear end of the base aspring pressed plate adapted to be lifted by the rotation of a nut tofacilitate the feeding of the material but when adjusted to so engagethe strip as to prevent rearward or lbackward movement of the strip.

One form of the invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a feeding device forstrip material theparts being shown in their normal position before being operated by thecam-of a pressing machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation thereof ICC showingrelative position of the parts at the commencement of a feeding stroke;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line a-a of Fig. 2 to show moreparticularly the adjustable stop;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the lines b--b of Fig. 2 to show moreparticularly the blade carrier;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the blade carrier;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on the line c-c of Fig.2 showing the means to prevent rearward movement of the strip materialand Fig. 8 is an end view of the gate portion of the device.

'As shown the gripping and feeding device for attachment to, forinstance, a press tool or machine comprises a base casting 1 ofsubstantially rectangular shape having a longitudinally extendingaperture or guideway 2 for a slidably mounted carrier 3 having ahorizontal guide slot 4 and a pivotally mounted carrier 5 of a grippingblade 6 under which strip material such as strip metal indicated at 7 isadapted to be fed in the manner to be hereinafter described. Theslidable carrier 3 in the form of an L-shaped member to provide avertical wall 8 is formed with a depending block 9 which is ,machined toprovide opposite vertical side surfaces 10 to slide in the guideway 2.This guideway 2 is formed with inwardly and longitudinally arranged ribs11 which are machined to provide upper and lower horizontal surfaces 12and 13, respectively. The block 9 is also machined to provide horizontalsurfaces 14 to slide on the horizontal surfaces 12 on the ribs 11. Thecarrier 3 is frictionally held in the guideway 2 by resilient means suchby a plate 15 of spring material co-operating with the machined surfaces13 on the underside of the ribs 11 the said plate 15 being held byscrews 16 screwed into the depending block 9 formed on slidable carrier3 or by nuts fitted on downwardly projecting studs mounted on the lowerside of the depending block 9 of the carrier 3. The forward movement ofthe carrier 3 and the feed of the strip material is adapted to beregulated by a stop member 17 slidably mounted in the guideway 2.Conveniently this stop member 17 is formed with a depending lug orextension 18 and with lower machined faces 19 to co-operate with theupper faces 12 of the ribs 11 mounted in the guideway. The setting ofthisstop member 17 is adapted to be adjusted to a fine degree by theoperation of a micrometer. The depending lug 18 of this stop 17 has athreaded aperture 20 to co-operate with a line threaded rod 21 which ismounted forrotation in the base member 1. One end of this rod 21 ismounted in a bearing 22 formed in the base 1 and the other end extendslongitudinally of the base and out through an aperture in the end wallof the base casting 1. On this projecting end of this rod 21 is mounteda micrometer. Adjacent to its end this rod 21 is enlarged in diameter at23 to engage against a sleeve 24 screwed into the end wall of the basecasting 1. This sleeve 24 is formed with oppositely arranged flats 25 toengage in a slot 26 formed in a gate 27 secured on the end wall of thebase casting 1. On the sleeve 2d is mounted the micrometer thimble 28which is held against relative rotation on the rod121 by a pin 29. Thispin 29 projects through a large hole in a locking sleeve 30 mounted onthe rod 21. The outer end of this rod 21 is threaded for the receptionof n lock nut 31. The micrometer thimble 28 and the lock nut 31 havemilled peripheries so that they can be manually adjusted. In operationthe micrometer thimble 28 is rotated to adjust the stop member 17 tolimit the feed of the strip material which passes through the horizontalguide slot' 4 in the upstanding portion 8 of the L-shaped carrier 3 andunder the gripping blade 6. It will be seen that the micrometeradjustment can be locked by the lock nut 31 as the hole in the sleeve 30willgive sufficient play for locking. This locking is effected by 3 thelocknut 31 pressing the locking sleeve 39 against the sleeve 24. TheL-shaped carrier 3 is formed with a pair of side arms 32 carrying apivot pin 33 for the carrier 5 of the gripping blade 6. The grippingblade 6 is formed with a knife or inclined lower edge and is attached bybolts 34 to the blade carrier 5 formed with rod-like side extensions 35at its upper end. These extensions 35 of the blade carrier are adaptedto move in an arc about a centre formed by the pivot pin 33 whenoperated in a manner to be hereinafter described. Between the side arms32 the vertical wall of the L-shaped member 3 is formed with a threadedaperture for the reception of an adjusting screw 37 to engage againstand limit or restrict the upward movement of the blade 6 and to preventbouncing due to the speed of the machine. This adjusting screw 37 isfitted with a lock nut 33. The heads of thc adjusting screw 37 and thelock nut 33 are formed with milled peripheries whereby they may bemanually adjusted. To the rod-like extensions 35 of the blade carrier 5are connected a pair of links 39 which are connected to a cross-shaft4t) fitted on the arms of a pair of bellcrank levers 41 which have theirother arms mounted on a cross-shaft 42 carried in brackets 43 formed onthe base casting 1. The intermediate fulcrums of the bellcrank levers 41are mounted on a cross-shaft 44 and connected by a pair of links 45 to acam operated cross-shaft 46 carried by levers 47 mounted on anothercross-shaft 48 carried in brackets 49 formed on the base casting 1. Thecam operated shaft 46 is preferably fitted with a roller or rollers 50to co-operate with a cam or the like indicated by the arrow x of apressing or other machine. To each outward extension of the cross-shaft48 is secured one end of a coiled tension spring 51. The other ends ofthese springs 51 are connected to the ends of the cross-shaft 44 formingthe fulcrums of the bellcrank levers 41. To the rear end of the basecasting 1 and just behind the bellcrank levers 41 is mounted a springpressed plate 52 so fulcrumed at its upper end in a ange 53 formed onthe upstanding frtment or gate 27 secured to the rear of the basecasting 1 as to engage the strip material by its lower edge. This stripmaterial indicated at 7 is adapted to be fed through a slot 54 in thegate 27 and onto a ground surface 55 of the base casting 1. Convenientlythis plate 52 is formed at its upper or fulcrum edge and at anintermediate position with a vertical slot 56 to receive oppositelyformed flats 57 formed on a screw member 58 to prevent its rotation. Theside walls of these flats 57 are curved to permit of angular movement ofthe plate 52. The screw threaded end of this screw member 58 is adaptedto screw into a knurled nut 59 mounted for rotation but for non-removalin the opstanding itment or gate 27. Between the head 60 of the screwmember 58 and the rear side of the plate 52 is mounted a coil conicalspring 61. The lower edge of the plate 52 is chamfered and the mountingof this plate is such as to permit forward movement of the stripmaterial vbut to prevent its rearward movement. It will be seen that thearrangement is such that the plate 52 can be released from engagementwith the strip material by adjusting the nut 59. Further the plate 52can be held in such a position as to permit the strip material to be fedreadily into the device by the rotation of the knurled nut 59. The widthof the gate slot 54 is adapted to be controlled by locking a pair ofwing-shaped adjusting plates 62 mounted on pivots 63 which also providemeans for securing the gate 27 to the end wall of the base 1. Thefeeding device above described is formed with apertures 64 for thereception of bolts or the like whereby it may be mounted on a press toolor machine and conveniently actuated by a cam or inclined edge of aplate secured to the press tool such as the downwardly movable plungerthereof indi: cated at x. The said cam or inclined edge co-operates withone of the before-mentioned rollers 50 on the cam'y operated shaft 46and is adapted when the carrier is moved to its rearmost position toengage the roller by the straight side of the plunger x.

ln operation, the plate 52 is first lifted by operating the knurled nut59 and the strip material of any desired width and thickness adapted tobe operated upon by a press tool is passed through the longitudinal slot54 in the gate 27 and threaded into the horizontal slot 4 and under thegripping blade 6 of the slidably mounted carrier 3. The plate 52--is nowadjusted according to the thicknessV of the material so that its loweredge just engages the strip material and to prevent any return movement.This adjustment is such as to prevent any curving of the strip materiallifting the plate 52 from its operating position which lifting wouldentail a loss of feed. The gripping blade 6 is also adjusted by theadjusting means 37 according to the thickness of the strip material soas to be only just clear of it. This adjustment is such as to preventany bouncing of the blade when the feeding device acts at a high speed.Upon the lowering of the cam of the pressing machine the inclined edgethereof will engage one of the rollers 5G on the cam operated shaft 46of the device and the links 4S arranged parallel with the base casting 1will be moved rearwardly by the front levers 47 and the bellcrank levers41 will turn on the cross-shaft 42 carried by the base casting 1. Uponfirst movement of this lever and link mechanism rearwardly, against theaction of the coiled springs 51 through the medium of the longer arms ofthe bellcrank levers 41 and links 39 connected with rod-like ends 35 ofthe gripping blade carrier 5, the gripping blade 6 will be raised byturning the same on the pivot pin 33 and the rod-like ends 35 of theblade carrier 5 will be moved to their rearward position and the carrier5 will engage against the adjustable screw 37. Thus the gripping bladewill be raised only slightly above thestrip material but the latter willbe gripped and held against rearward movement by the spring pressedplate 52 at the rear end of the base casting 1. Upon further operationof the lever and link mechanism the slidable carrier 3 will be movedrearwardly through the medium of the pivoted carrier S of the grippingblade 6 to the position shown in Figure 3, rearwardly away from theadjustable stop 17 to a distance according to the shape and downwardmovement of the cam on the pressing machine. Upon the raising of the camplate x the coiled springs S1 will return the parts to their initialposition and the strip material will be gripped by the gripping blade 6and fed into the press tool. During the feeding operation the grippingblade carrier 5 will be outof contact with the adjusting screw 37. Itwill be understood that the amount of feed and travel of the strip canbe varied by adjusting the stop 17 through the medium of the micrometer.Further the gripping blade 6 may be so adjusted by the adjusting screw37 that it will engage or move strips of various thicknesses. Theprovision of bellcrank levers in the carrier operating means willmultiply the movement of the carrier and obtain a length of feed inexcess of that which would be obtained by levers and links alone.

What l claim is:

l. A gripping and feeding device for feeding strip material intomachines, comprising a base, a guide formed in said base, a carrierslidably mounted on said guide,

,a gripping blade member pivotally mounted on said carrier, meansconnected to the pivoted gripper to pivot it back and forth andsimultaneously reciprocate the carrier, a stop adjustably positioned insaid guide to limit the movement of the slidably motnited carrier, amicrometer device on said base for adjusting said stop along said guide,said micrometer device comprises a sleeve secured in one end of saidbase, a fine threaded rod journalled in said sleeve and extendinglongitudinally of said guide'and having a bearing at the other end ofsaid base, saidstop being mounted on said tine threaded rod, and amicrometer thimble mounted on said sleeve and secured to the rod, saidrod being formed with an enlargement to engage against the sleeve, asecond sleeve is mounted on said rod within said thimble and extendsfrom said Erst-mentioned sleeve to beyond said thirnble, said secondsleeve having diametrically disposed holes, said thimble being securedto the said rod by a pin projecting through said sleeve holes, the outerend of the rod being threaded, and a lock nut threaded on said rod endfor clamping said second sleeve against said rst sleeve to lock themicrometer thimble and rod in adjusted position.

2. A gripping and feeding device for feeding strip material intomachines, comprising a base, a guide formed in said base, a carrierslidably mounted on said guide, a gripping blade member pivotallymounted on said carrier, means connected to the pivoted gripper to pivotit back and forth and simultaneously reciprocate the car- Iier, springmeans between said base and said lever and link means for biasing saidcarrier in the other direction, a stop adjustably positioned to limitthe movement of the slidably mounted carrier, said base having a surfaceover which strip material is fed, a support on said base and extendingabove said surface, a nut rotatably and non-removably mounted in saidsupport, a bolt threaded in said nut, a plate loosely mounted on saidbolt, and a spring between said plate and the head of said bolt andbiasing said plate toward engagement between said support and stripmaterial on said surface, said plate being formed at its fulcrum edgeand at an intermediate position with a vertical bolt straddling slot,said bolt having oppositely arranged flats engaging the edges of saidslot to prevent its rotation, the side walls of the flats being curvedto permit angular movement of said plate relative to said bolt.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,007,236Poierier Oct. 31, 1911 1,305,342 De Smith June 3, 1919 1,407,699 MarianFeb. 28, 1922 1,690,512 Uttz Nov. 6, 1928 1,826,498 Bignell Oct. 6, 19311,968,479 Dickerman July 3l, 1934 2,188,473 Dickerman lan. 30, 19402,222,168 Brooks Nov. 19, 1940 2,228,245 Barker et al. Jan. 14, 19412,278,921 Fischer Apr. 7, 1942 2,381,571 Buchan Aug. 7, 1945 2,397,833Borton Apr. 2, 1946 2,428,493 Haller Oct. 7, 1947 2,514,554 NowelskyJuly 11, 1950

